ties that bind
by Khayr
Summary: "Something bothering you?" Her tone was casual enough, but his cane missed a beat when he stepped next.


a/n; for tumblr user miss-grad-student bc she asked and I'm a huge pushover for my buddies 8 ) love u b

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"You can't be serious. Ozpin, it's snowing outside, we're not going for a walk." The man was unbelievable, even on the best of days. Glynda folded her arms over her chest as if it would make her point more obvious but it didn't deter the smile he was giving her from the doorway.

"It's not that bad," he replied, waving her off. He was already dressed to go with a beanie pulled down over his ears and his scarf tugged a little higher around his neck. It wasn't a complete lie. They were only supposed to get a few inches of snow overnight, and it had only just started to fall an hour ago. Glynda drew a long, slow breath.

"Fine," she ran her hands over her face, rising from her desk to collect her coat, "When we get back, you owe me coffee for this." It was apparently a fair deal to him considering he didn't protest and only moved to hold the door open for her instead. She pulled her coat over her shoulders, paused to fix Ozpin's scarf, and then the two of them strolled down the empty hallways and out onto campus.

It was peaceful, at least.

Everyone else must have had the good sense to stay indoors where it was warm- another sign to Glynda that the man beside her was out of his mind- a couple students hurried into the dorms but there wasn't a soul around otherwise. The air carried that muffled, soundless feeling that came with snowfall as it drifted down from the sky. Their footsteps crunched through what had already fallen on the pathways as they wound their way past the dorms and into what any other time of the year would be Beacon's lush gardens.

The trees were barren save for the thick group of evergreens along the outskirts. One of the groundskeepers had managed to prune everything back before the ground froze, the stems peeking out from below the snow with promise for leaves and blossoms come springtime.

Glynda would have been content to continue their walk in comfortable quiet. It was their usual routine, at least... but she caught Ozpin fidget for the briefest of moments out of the corner of her eye.

"Something bothering you?" Her tone was casual enough, but his cane missed a beat when he stepped next. 

A definite tell, no matter what his response was.

"Nothing more than usual," he replied, skirting the question. Ozpin knew when he was caught. He knew. She shot him a look in response but he didn't falter under her gaze. For a few moments longer they walked in silence before he stopped abruptly in the middle of the path. His gaze lingered on the sky briefly, following the trail of snowflakes downwards to where they dusted Glynda's shoulders and hair. When he met her eyes, he smiled.

"Do you remember when this tree came down?" He nodded at the massive oak in front of them, its limbs spread like bare bones against the snowy sky. Anyone who knew where to look could find a seam in the bark, mended back together by time and patience. Glynda sniffled quietly beside him, the tip of her nose numb from the cold.

"Yes," she replied at length, "Six years ago. That storm in October." Lightning had split the tree down the middle, had burnt and scorched in its wake… and she had painstakingly pieced it together again with sheer willpower and determination. Working with living tissue had been far more difficult than manipulating regular objects, but the oak had survived- thrived, even- and every walk through the gardens only served to remind her that she was just as capable of saving life as she was destroying it. Glynda remembered Ozpin's relief the following spring when leaves had sprung from its branches, bright and green and alive.

Even so, he rarely mentioned it when they passed. Another tell.

"Glyn," he started, turning to face her. He felt the words disappear from his mouth. The look on his face must have betrayed the storm curling quietly in his chest, earning a raised eyebrow from her in response. Ozpin fidgeted.

"Ozpin." She tilted her head, mimicking his tone of voice. His hand reached for hers, threading their fingers together in spite of the cold. He opened and closed his mouth twice without saying anything, finally letting out a low breath to steady himself. When he finally spoke his voice was so quiet Glynda almost couldn't hear him.

"Marry me."

She blinked. "What?"

"You heard me," Ozpin replied, reaching into his coat pocket with his free hand. He procured a small box and flipped it open with his thumb, releasing her hand only to carefully hold it where she could see- a plain gold band with a small green stone set inside. It was so quintessentially him that it made her heart ache to think about it. Glynda hardly realized she was staring with her mouth partially open until she noticed him fidget nervously again.

"Y-yeah," she whispered quickly, voice cracking. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Yes, I- of course, Oz-"

He dropped his cane in the snow, fingers sliding over her cheek as he pulled her into a fierce, relieved kiss. She could feel him smiling against her mouth before he pulled back enough to murmur a barely audible 'I love you', breath ghosting in the cold air. Ozpin took her hand in his, spending only a moment to slide the ring over her finger. She looked at it for a moment, let out a quiet chuckle of disbelief and kissed him again. Part of her was surprised it even took him this long to ask and the other realized she hadn't even had to think about her response.

He collected his cane and Glynda linked her arm with his, leaning into him while they walked back the way they had come from. Behind them, the snow slowly filled in their footprints until only shadows of them remained.


End file.
